Category Archives: Exhibition

Dropping Tipping Point and foundation into a hole we’d prepared earlier.

Auckland Botanic Garden‘s biennial sculpture show is about to open – it runs from 29 November 2015 to 6 March 2016. All of the works are now in place and it looks like a pretty good show with plenty of well-known artists represented. This is the fourth time my work has been selected for this event.

In what has to have been the easiest installation ever, Tipping Point was placed in position way back on 11 November. Toughening OSH rules mean that work on Council-owned land can only be undertaken by appropriately trained and certified contractors and staff. My role was pretty much reduced to watching and offering helpful comments from the sidelines. Overall a great job by the crew.

Tipping Point was crafted in my neighbour’s barn. It did start in my garage, but I quickly worked out that wasn’t going to work.

As with most of my work, there is an environmental message. Tipping points and domino theories allude to points where systems become unstable; producing a cascade of unintended consequences that are as inevitable as the last domino toppling. The work is especially pertinent as our minority National government representatives head off to Paris with proposals for meagre greenhouse gas emission reductions and a disingenuous appeal that the small size of our emissions on a global scale mean that we can maintain business as usual.

Installation of Weather House at the bi-annual Sculpture in the Gardens show at Auckland Botanic Gardens

The bi-annual sculpture show at the Auckland Botanic Gardens is gearing up for its summer run from 9th November 2013 to 16th February 2014. Installation commenced last week and probably half of the works are already in place.

My work Weather House was installed without hitch on Monday thanks to the help from the well-organised gardens crew.

I was very pleased to be among the 23 artists that will have their work in the gardens over the period running from 9 November 2013 through to 16 February 2014. This will be the fourth biennial show to be held at the Botanic Gardens and will be the third for which my work has been selected.

The exhibition comprises large-scale, outdoor sculptures placed along a 2km walking trail that passes through the key plant collections at the Manurewa site. Entry is free and this popular event saw over 360,000 visitors passing through the gates during the last show.

It has been a busy summer with lots of sculpture out and about in the Auckland Region but is now winding down as the days shorten. There is still plenty to see though; Summer of Sculpture in the Wynyard Quarter continues through to 14th March and the private gardens/sculpture parks will continue through the winter – on reduced schedules.

Take advantage of the Indian Summer and get out and see some great art.